The Storm's Challenge

by OneLonelyPickle

36 - The Drama Before The Race

Chapter 36

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The Drama Before The Race

Rainbow burst out of her sun-kissed bed sheets, flew into the air above her room, and threw up her hooves triumphantly. The clock wasn’t even close to hitting the alarm.

“Alllllrrriiiiight, time for race number two! LET’S GOOOO — OWWWWWWWWW!”

The stinging in her wings was back with full force. She crumpled onto her bed, holding her wings in a desperate desire for relief. Tank rubbed his little turtle head on Rainbow’s side in an attempt to give comfort. Rainbow winced.

“Ouchouchouch! I need that — ouch! — cream stuff!”

Tank took the hint and started his propeller. He soared over to Rainbow’s Wonderbolts outfit and retrieved the cream that Zephyr had given Rainbow the day before. He quickly placed it on the bed, Rainbow clawing for it immediately. She unscrewed the lid with amazing speed and started to lather her wings generously. After a moment, she laid back down and sighed happily.

“Thaaaat’s much better! Thanks, buddy!” She rubbed the top of Tank’s head and he beamed. Rainbow jumped into the air once more. “Time to get a move on!”

Five minutes later, Rainbow was outside dressed in her Wonderbolt’s outfit, her goggles were tight against her forehead, and her wing warmups were finished. She cracked her neck to the left, then to the right. She breathed deep, savoring the rush of the early morning air, then exhaled slowly.

“Perfect,” she said quietly. The sun barely peeked out above the earth. Ponyville was still mostly covered in a purple glow, but sunlight did reach outward from the horizon. Rainbow unleashed her wings and took to the air with a dive off of her cloud home.

Normally, Rainbow might see other ponies out and about when she left in the morning, but as she was a whole half hour earlier than normal, it was mostly deserted, both in the sky and on the ground. The hovering Saddlebred Citadel loomed in the distance above Canterlot, and Rainbow narrowed her eyes as she watched the sunlight bounce off its blue cloud walls.

Time for the skills competition. Nothing to sweat! I got the skills to pay the bills!

Rainbow practiced the move Zephyr had shown her the other day as she flew. Though she was sure her form was perfect when she waved air inwards toward her body, there seemed to be no effect like how Zephyr could generate mini tornados. Rainbow sighed.

Just gotta keep practicing! I still have until tomorrow!

Rainbow reached the Citadel before long and flew down into the stadium. Because she was early, it was a lot emptier than she had experienced on the day of the first race, when she had arrived late. Rainbow blinked rapidly as she landed on the short, perfectly maintained grass of the field. She looked around.

“Hmm,” she hummed, a twist in her lips. “Ahh! There they are!” It was the Wonderbolts — or, at least, some of them. Spitfire and Soarin’ were nowhere to be seen. Instead, a hooffful of the senior members plus Fleetfoot were present, looking less than excited to be at race number two of the Storm’s Challenge.

“Hey! Fleetfoot! Fellas! What’s up?” Rainbow cried with an eager wave from across the field. She soared over and landed right in front of the somber flyers. Fleetfoot sighed and forced a smile.

“Morning… Rainbow. You’re early, which is good to see…”

Rainbow glanced at each of the Wonderbolts. It was like they were attending a funeral and NOT the second day of the biggest races ever. Rainbow cocked her head.

“Uhhh, guys? Why the long faces?” Rainbow started laughing. “Long faces! Ponies! Hahaha, sorry, I didn’t plan that one!”

Fleetfoot dropped her façade and looked at the field in front of Rainbow.

“Soarin’ never came back yesterday, or last night, or this morning.”

Rainbow briefly remembered Soarin’s absence from the Academy the day before, though thought nothing of it at the time. Then, she remembered the whole deal with Spitfire and Soarin’, and her wings opened straight out.

“Oh! That! It’s all because of that Lovey Dovey pony, isn’t it? The other day at the race, she came up and started causing trouble! That’s why Spitfire got upset and Soarin’ left! It wasn’t her fault at all!”

One of the other Wonderbolts stepped forward and spoke.

“That may be the case, Ms. Dash, but the fact still remains that our captain and second-in-command are at odds — and some of the other Wonderbolts who are closer to Soarin’ left as well.” He sighed and his head dropped. “We don’t know what to do now.” Fleetfoot grunted in agreement. Rainbow furrowed her brow.

“Well I know what to do! When Spitfire gets here, I’m gonna tell her to make up with Soarin’! He’s definitely going to show up — no way he’d miss the race! This is all a stupid misunderstanding! They just gotta talk it out, that’s all!”

Rainbow tried to keep the spirits high with the Wonderbolts as the first rays of the morning light streamed over the top of the stadium bowl. More and more flyers were pouring onto the field or the team waiting areas. The more serious fans were already filing into the stands and waving foam fingers. One stallion even screamed “Yeahhhh!” at the top of his lungs.

Eventually Rainbow got tired of the negativity of the Wonderbolts and started doing some more warm up stretches. Her glare of determination burned a hole through the grass.

First my friends — which is all cleared up now, but still — and now the Wonderbolts themselves! It’s like nopony realizes that this is THE STORM’S CHALLENGE!

She smiled brazenly at nothing in particular, got onto her fore hooves, and performed a hoofstand. She flapped her wings viciously and struggled to maintain her body completely perpendicular to the field.

I can’t let my focus down! It looks like it’s going to be up to ME to win this for the sake of the Wonderbolts. Well, and myself, of course!

She started doing upside down, two-hoofed pushups, sweat already pouring down the bridge of her nose. She had a staring contest with the green blades beneath her.

Zephyr’s definitely going down! I need to think of something cool to say to him when I see him later, really psyche him out! Only thing is, I got to perfect that move of his before tomorrow…

Rainbow got back onto four hooves and caught her breath, wiping away the built up sweat on her brow with her wing.

I barely made a dent in it yesterday! I couldn’t even form one of those mini tornados around a single wing for longer than a second!

A sharp whistle torn through the air and made Rainbow’s ears perk up. A referee looked up at the sky and Rainbow followed his stare.

“Hey! You’ve been disqualified,” the referee said to the newcomer, “What are you doing here?”

Rainbow grimaced. It was Slapshot, dressed in his tuque and jersey. He landed on the field a couple paces from Rainbow, chewing ferociously on that stuff Rainbow saw him spit the other day. She was instantly on him before he said a word.

“That’s right, Slapshot! You’re lucky you’re not in a castle cell right now — why if it was up to me—”

Her confidence waned as Slapshot marched right up to her, half an inch away from her snout. He was slightly taller and Rainbow braced herself for a strike. Instead, Slapshot just sucked air in through his teeth and glared down.

“Pssh, you’ve got a big mouth, eh? Had to rat me out, like a good little pony, didja? What a joke.”

He blew a bubble with the Seeptree Sap, let it burst in front of Rainbow’s face, and continued chewing and staring at her. Rainbow regained her determination and glared back. She spread her wings out and got into a pouncing position.

“You could have killed that mare you hit with your disgusting gum crud! Do you really think I wouldn’t say anything? What’s fair about using something like that to win? Don’t you care if anypony gets hurt?”

Slapshot tilted his head and spoke, ignoring Rainbow’s questions.

“What I don’t get, yeah, is how you talked Maelstrom into siding with you, bud. You and him got a side arrangement deal going on or something, know what I mean?” The two sets of pony eyes were burning hot, fiery and passionate. Anypony watching expected them to throw down at the drop of a pin.

Before Rainbow could open her mouth to retaliate, a familiar voice called out from the sky.

“Slapshot! You better not be causing trouble!”

Rainbow looked back and up. It was Zephyr. She smiled, realizing Slapshot was about to get it from a fellow EFL captain.

“Zephyr! Bah, this is such a goof, eh,” Slapshot hissed, shaking his head. “Was it you, Zephyr, who got me disqualified? You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with the little famous pony girl here.” He turned back to Rainbow and puffed out his chest. “You’re a little hero girl, or so they say. Real big and famous, aren’t you?”

Zephyr landed next to Rainbow and chastised Slapshot.

“Just leave, Slapshot, before Maelstrom gets here and you get worse than just a disqualification!”

Slapshot growled, closed his eyes and tensed up his face muscles. Everypony held their breathes, expecting an outburst. Instead, Slapshot just reared onto his hindhooves, whinnied loudly, and landed with a thud. He snorted and his wings flew open wide.

“Nah, you know what, bud, don’t even worry about it, eh? I’m outta here. I’m done.”

He turned to leave, then quickly turned back around to spit out a glob of brown saliva, which barely missed landing on Rainbow’s hoof. He glared at Rainbow one last time before he blew air through his teeth one last time and flew into the sky.

“What do you mean?” Zephyr called after him. Slapshot continued flying but shouted his reply.

“I mean I’m gone! Heading back to Vanhoover, yeah? Done with the EFL, done with taking orders from a bunch of losers who take flying too seriously!”

Right before everypony watched the shrinking form of Slapshot crest the top of the Citadel and leave, a shiny medallion fell to the field with a light thud. It was Slapshot’s silver EFL medallion. Zephyr picked it up with a sigh.

“Well how’s that for a start to day two…” Zephyr lamented. He turned to Rainbow with a forced smile. “Mornin’, RB.”

Rainbow was still in battle mode and she snorted.

“Good riddens to that jerk!” she cried, “You’re lucky, if you ask me, Zeph! You don’t want a bully like him leading your members around at competitions!”

Zephyr nodded in agreement.

“That’s true, but he was one heck of a good flyer, no question. Anyway, he was already disqualified, but I do feel bad for his teammates.”

Zephyr changed the subject with a smug grin and an upward tilt of his neck, forcing his long, pink ponytail to whip around.

“So, did you perfect my trick yet? Can you match my speed?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and did a single, arrogant laugh.

“Girl’s gotta have some tricks of her own up her sleeve. I ain’t tellin’ you nothin’!”

Zephyr returned the expression.

“Fine by me. And to that I’ll say: don’t be surprised if you see a Rainboom at the end of tomorrow’s race.” He laughed. Rainbow’s eyes widened and she took a step back.

“W-wait, seriously?” she asked. Zephyr laughed even louder and held a hoof to his chest. A group of flyers, including most of the Wonderbolts and Fleetfoot, started to gather around. Everypony looked excited, as if they were watching two celebrities. Whispers and nervous laughter surrounded Rainbow.

“H-hey Zephyr!” one flyer asked, “Are you and Rainbow friends?”

Another stepped forward and raised his hoof. “Oh! Oh! Rainbow Dash! Do you think you can beat Zephyr in the race tomorrow?”

Rainbow blushed and crossed one hoof over the other. She stood up straight and put away her wings. Zephyr chuckled as he watched her nervously shuffle. Somepony shouted from the sky.

“First she needs to get through today without eating my dust! Same goes for Ponytail over there!”

Rainbow looked up to the source of the sound and her face lit up.

“Spitfire!” she cried. The backswept, yellow mane of Spitfire was perfectly shaped and coifed. Her Wonderbolts outfit was tight against her, freshly washed, without a single speck on it. A pair of Wonderbolts-issue goggles graced the spot just above her forehead. She landed with a flourish and the group shifted to surround her as well. Spitfire struck a pose.

“Don’t count out the captain of the Wonderbolts just yet! This upstart here” — she motioned toward Rainbow with a flick of her head — “Might be drawing a lot of attention, but let’s not forget who the top flyer in the Canterlot region for the last eight years has been!”

The group of ponies, and the three star-studded flyers in the middle of them, talked among themselves for a few minutes before Rainbow Dash remembered what Fleetfoot had said earlier that morning. She quickly flew to Spitfire’s side, nudged her with a hoof, and whispered in her ear.

“Hey, can I talk to you about Soarin’? Like, can we go someplace a bit quieter or something?”

Spitfire’s ears drooped and she lost her demeanor. She looked at Rainbow and nodded. The two flew off into to an unoccupied stadium entrance tunnel, the group of ponies behind them crying in protest. Fleetfoot made sure that nopony followed the duo.

“I know what you’re going to say, Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire said as they landed, “But this time I swear I didn’t overreact or anything! I mean—” She sighed and rubbed the back of her head. “Well, I might have… sort of… told Soarin’ to go join Lovey Dovey at the EFL and never return to the Wonderbolts… ha ha ha!”

Rainbow gasped, her mouth growing as wide as a reality-shattering Pinkie Pie’s.

“YOU WHAT?!” Rainbow shouted. Spitfire grimaced as she heard the reaction she expected. She looked at Rainbow with a frown and kicked at the ground dismissively.

“W-what?”

Rainbow looked at Spitfire like it was the stupidest question ever uttered. Her jaw was still unhinged, and she held up her hoof as if to say, “Really?” Spitfire rolled her eyes.

“Okay, okay, I got it. Here’s what happened: Soarin’ came back from the EFL training camp yesterday morning, I guess he had spent the night there… with Lovey Dovey — not together, like in the same tent or nothing! Don’t worry, I grilled him on that!” Spitfire’s cheeks were a deep scarlet as she went on with a slight tremble in her voice. “A-anyway, when he got back… I lost it. I mean, I know we had that talk, Rainbow, but I was worried… worried when he never came back the night of the first race…”

Spitfire shook her head and sat on her rump, cradling her head in her hooves.

“I saw red, okay? And I said the worst thing I could think of, and he thought I was serious! I mean, I don’t blame him, but still!” Tears welled in Spitfire’s eyes, and Rainbow could hardly believe it was the same Spitfire that she had seen and heard chew into lazy Wonderbolts at the Academy. “I hid it from everypony yesterday so the remaining Wonderbolts could focus on training, but now I’m scared because I think he might have actually left to join the EFL! And that Lovey Dovey…”

Spitfire smacked the concrete ground hard and ground her teeth together.

“I’m so stupid… so, so stupid!”

Rainbow put a hoof on Spitfire’s shoulder. Spitfire looked up with wet eyes and Rainbow smiled, wide and confident.

“Do I even have to say what you need to do? Remember my friend Applejack and that whole honesty thing?”

Spitfire sighed and closed her eyes. With a nod and smile, she replied.

“Yep. I gotta come clean to Soarin’, huh? It’s no use pussyhoofing around, I’ve done enough damage already.”

Rainbow spread her wings and her eyebrows flexed upward.

“Exactly! It’s nothing that telling the truth won’t fix! Spitfire, the Wonderbolts worship you, and I know Soarin’ could never hate you! If you just explain everything, I know it’ll turn out okay. Maybe not right away… but eventually — and it’s the right thing to do!”

Spitfire stared off at a random spot on the concrete. Her wings drooped.

“I know. And… Soarin’ will forgive me. But after this, there’s no way we could ever — I mean he’d never want to be with —” She sighed and shook her head. “That doesn’t matter now. The team is more important, and so are Soarin’s feelings.” She looked up and smiled weakly at Rainbow. “I’ll tell him before the race.”

Rainbow held out her hoof and Spitfire accepted, letting the Wonderbolt rookie pull her to her hooves with a strong grip.

“Don’t be so sure it’ll turn out badly, captain! You gotta stay positive!”

Spitfire nodded and the two finished their pep talk, walking back out onto the field. Rainbow felt relief that the only dampers on her morning had fallen away, one by one. A miniature version of herself danced in her brain.

Finally, I can focus on mental prep for the race in a few hours!

Unbeknownst to Rainbow, far away to the north, Twilight Sparkle was waking up in a strange place, replaying the events of the previous night in her sleepless dreams…